


Dixon's Girl

by ExpressAndAdmirable



Series: The Heroes of Light [37]
Category: Dungeons & Dragons (Roleplaying Game), Dungeons & Dragons - All Media Types, Final Fantasy I
Genre: Backstory, Bards Being Bards, F/M, Gen, Implied/Referenced Domestic Violence, The Jaxa Cycle, Tiefling
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-02
Updated: 2018-01-02
Packaged: 2019-02-26 13:58:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,691
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13237188
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ExpressAndAdmirable/pseuds/ExpressAndAdmirable
Summary: Lux helps a stranger out of a bad situation and pisses off a noble. Contains: verbal abuse, references to physical abuse.





	Dixon's Girl

“Ale for you.”

Lux glanced at the barman with a confused frown, her bow sliding across the strings without missing a note. “Who from?”

“The gentleman in the far booth,” the barman answered, setting the mug on the table at Lux’s elbow; the tone of his response made it clear the man in question was a gentleman only in rank and title. As he departed, Lux leaned over to peer into the mug. The red. The most expensive ale the tavern offered. The kind of gift that came with expectations.

Looking up from the mug, Lux spied the booth in the far corner of the tavern. The man was handsome for a Human, with dark hair and a lean face, but the confidence of his smirk and the pointedness of his gaze made her skin crawl. This was a man thoroughly used to getting exactly what he wanted. More concerning, however, was the young woman next to him: curved and pretty, she smiled whenever the man spoke in her direction, but it never reached her eyes and vanished as soon as he looked away. She was playing her part well, but behind the mask, she was terrified.

After a moment, she realised where she had seen the man before: a fortnight prior, at court, when she had been invited to play with a small orchestra for some of the nobility. He had been in the audience, though the woman on his arm at that performance had been different. She had been older, more self-possessed, and infinitely bored with the sedateness of the music. Lux could only assume that woman had been his wife. This new woman was definitely not.

She watched them as she played. He talked almost incessantly, making broad gestures to indicate his points and laughing loudly at his own jokes. She smiled, nodded, offered the occasional response which he largely ignored. From time to time he would point at Lux, leaning close and whispering to the woman with a lascivious smile. His desires for the evening were so abundantly, unavoidably clear that under normal circumstances they would have made Lux laugh. He was going to be sorely disappointed.

Lux waited until the man turned to flag down a barmaid and caught the woman’s eye. She murmured something to herself, her lips barely moving, but the jerk of the woman’s head told her the magic had gone through: _Are you okay?_ The woman blinked, her eyes darting nervously around her before settling back on Lux. She shook her head very slightly. The Tiefling nodded, incanted again: _My set is almost through. Tell him you want to meet me. I’ll be at the bar. Trust me._ The woman did not move a muscle, but the intensity of her stare was all the confirmation Lux needed.

When she finished her last song, Lux stood, bowed, stowed her violin and made her way to the bar, bringing the untouched ale with her. Pressing a coin onto the varnished wood, she told the barkeep she needed a room immediately, no questions. The barkeep nodded, took her coin and handed her a small key with a leather number tag. She palmed the key and took a deep swig of ale. Now it was time for the real show.

“You there! Bard!”

Somehow managing to keep her eyes from rolling completely out of her skull, Lux turned to see the man approaching, his arm draped casually over the woman’s shoulders. She lifted her mug and tipped her head. “My lord. Are you my patron this evening?”

“I most certainly am! A fine performance, bard. Truly magnificent! Quite a difference from your appearance at court the other day. Clearly, this is where you’re in your element.” Lux noted the subtle backhandedness of the man’s words, but did not interrupt. Let him play out his part. “My mistress–” he squeezed his arm around the woman’s neck, “–was very taken by your music.” He smashed a kiss onto the woman’s temple, but kept his eyes on Lux. “Of course, I promised her an introduction. She’s just _anxious_ to meet you.” _Gods, deliver us from this man’s libido._

“Naturally.” Lux smiled her best smile and extended her hand. When the woman cautiously took it, Lux sank into a dramatic bow, using the motion to pull her a step forward and out of the man’s grip. She kissed the woman’s hand as she straightened. “Lux. A pleasure to meet you, my lady.”

Before the woman could introduce herself in return, the man barked a laugh. “Oh, she’s no lady! There’s no need for that. She’s a shoemaker’s daughter. She’s here with me because she’s the prettiest shoemaker’s daughter in all Corneria.”

“Is that so, my lord?” Lux responded mildly, not letting go of the woman’s hand. “And what brings a gentleman such as yourself to this humble establishment?”

The man leaned rakishly against the bar, his ego almost visibly puffing, and raised his hand in declaration. “I love taverns! This part of town is always the best place to find entertainment. It’s all so… rustic! Simple food, common ales…” He spied Lux’s hand wrapped around the woman’s and fixed her with a grin. “…Talented women. There’s something for everyone here. Wouldn’t you agree?”

“Of course, my lord.” Gently, Lux placed the woman’s hand on her hip, sliding her arm around her waist. The woman’s eyes widened, watching Lux closely, but she accepted the Tiefling’s embrace.

“Oh I’m _so_ glad.” The man looked them up and down, his eyes positively burning. “Now, as your evening’s patron, I should very much like to take a room upstairs and commission a _private_ performance for my mistress and myself.” He licked his lips.

For a long moment, Lux pretended to consider the man’s offer. She drew the woman close, carefully angling their bodies to move her safely behind her and out of the man’s reach. “Yes.” With the woman at her back, she regarded the man. “And… No.”

He blinked. “What?”

“No, my lord. No private performances this evening.”

“ _Excuse me_?” the man spluttered. “You can’t– I’ve– What is it you want, then? I’ll pay double!” His obliviousness to the fact he had just been played like a lute was almost endearing.

“Pay?" Lux asked, unfazed. "Does this look like a brothel to you, my lord? If you need one, I can make recommendations.”

“What– You vulgar cow! How dare you spurn me! Your kind should be grateful for the attention, you hellish beast! I can’t believe I wasted my time with you and your pitiful music.” For a split second, he looked about to spit in her face, but instead he turned with a flourish. “Come, darling. We’re leaving.”

“She’s not going anywhere with you.”

The man stopped. Slowly, he turned, his face crimson with rage. “ _What_ did you say to me?”

The tavern fell silent, every eye fixed on the scene. Lux slipped her hand behind her back and felt the woman take the room key from her open palm. She spoke slowly, stalling until the woman’s footsteps receded. “I said, she’s not going anywhere with you, _my lord_.”

“You good-for-nothing blasphemous whore!” The man drew himself up to his full height, which might have been intimidating had he not been a full three inches shorter than the Tiefling. “You deny me satisfaction _and_ take my woman from me?! This is outrageous! I shan’t stand for it! Do you know who I am?!”

“First of all,” Lux growled, also drawing up to her full height, “she’s not _your_ woman. Second, I’m guessing you only bring her to taverns in this part of town so you can have your fun without your wife finding out. Am I correct, sir? So your goodly wife doesn’t discover her noble husband is a liar and a cheat? You can’t hide your sins from me, _sir_ , because I _do_ know who you are. So here’s what’s going to happen: you’re going to walk out that door and never seek your former mistress’s company again. You will allow her to go free and speak of her to no-one. If I hear even a rumour you’ve darkened her doorstep again, I will go straight to your wife and tell her everything I know. How does that sound?”

“You wouldn’t,” the man breathed, genuine fear creeping into his fury. “She’d– She’d never believe a creature like you!”

“I would, and she will. In fact,” she added, leaning close enough to kiss him, “I’ll make the story even better. I’ll tell everyone in every tavern that you and I are _passionate_ lovers, that you spend every day just waiting to empty yourself into this _hell_. Word will spread, believe you me. Everyone will know you like to fuck devil spawn. And what will your fellows at court say then?”

“But that’s– That’s not true!”

Lux shrugged. “You wanted it to be. What do I care if it’s true or not?” She smirked. “They say anyone can fuck their way into the nobility if they’re dedicated enough. Maybe it’ll get me a court appointment. Wouldn’t that be fun?” She dropped the sneer, her voice lowering. “Or, you can turn around, right now, and _get. out_.”

Speechless, the man weighed his options. The entire room watched. Finally, his hands balled into fists, the man spat at Lux’s feet, muttered a curse and stormed out of the tavern.

Taking a deep breath, Lux looked out across the sea of silent patrons. “How many of you saw what he was doing to her?” she asked, her voice cold with fury. Several faces dropped their gaze. “I could see it from across the fucking room. How many of you saw, and did nothing? You let some knobhead in a fancy doublet abuse one of your own, in your own house, and you did nothing. Because, what? He’s rich? He has rank? He deserves to get what he wants? It’s too much godsdamned _trouble_?” She scanned the room; no-one met her eyes. She shook her head in disgust. “And they say I’m evil.” Picking up her violin case, she mounted the stairs to the upper floor.

Room four. Lux knocked lightly. No answer. “My lady? It’s Lux. …The bard. It’s alright now.” No answer. She wondered if she had the wrong room. Then the lock clicked and the door creaked open to reveal the woman behind it. She was younger than Lux but not by much, her auburn hair pinned into elaborate braids, her green eyes wide with fear. The faded remains of a bruise ringed one eye socket. “Are you okay?”

The woman nodded, opening the door further. “Come in.” As soon as Lux entered, she closed the door and locked it again. “He’s really gone?”

“Yeah. Lord Fuck-a-Duck shouldn’t be bothering you anymore.” Lux smiled. “You’re free.”

Without warning, the woman threw her arms around the Tiefling. “Oh thank you! Thank you thank you thank you thank you–” She kissed her hard, cutting off her own words.

For a moment Lux melted into the kiss, then realised what she was doing and pulled back with a start. “Hey, whoa, hang on. Back up.” She wriggled out of the woman’s arms, trying to calm her suddenly racing pulse. “Okay. Okay. Hey. Let’s start at the beginning. What’s your name?”

“Maria,” the woman answered. “Is something wrong?” she asked, noticing Lux’s slight flinch.

“No, no. Just a similar name to someone I once knew. Sorry.” Lux stepped over to the table, flipping a chair around and settling backwards onto it, a posture as defensive as it was disarming. “What’s your story, Maria? How did you come to be here?”

“Um, there’s not a lot to tell, really.” Maria sat on the edge of the bed, her hands folded nervously in her lap. “I’m a shoemaker’s daughter, that much is true. My father owns a shop near the canal. Mortimer’s.”

Lux nodded. “I know the place.” If it was the shop she was thinking of, Maria’s father and her own mother bought leather from the same tannery. Her father was a good enough man by all accounts, but she knew he gave her mother dirty looks when they crossed paths.

Maria blinked. “You do? Are you from around here?” Lux nodded again, and it took Maria a moment to realise she was not going to elaborate. “Right… My father makes a lot of specialty shoes for the upper class, and since I help out around the shop, he often asks me to deliver them. That’s how I met him. He had ordered shoes.” She bit her lip. “He seemed so… elegant, at first. He was well-read and had good taste, and he kept telling me how pretty I was. He bought me gifts and took me places. I guess I was charmed. I’d never been courted by a noble before. I thought I loved him.” She looked embarrassed. “But he got off on the secret of it all. The power. He showed me off to his friends, bragged about me, but I could never visit him at home or go with him to court functions. I was never an official secondary. When I started to ask why it had to be that way, he…” She trailed off, one hand moving almost unconsciously to her bruised cheekbone. “And then it got bad.” Finally, she looked up at Lux. “We were out in public all the time, but nobody saw. Or if they did, they pretended not to. I thought I was trapped. How did you know?”

“Because I’ve been there,” Lux answered softly.

“Ohh…” Maria breathed, looking at the Tiefling with such deep pity it nearly made her fidget in her seat. “How did you… What happened?”

“Pretty girl, bad choices. Got hooked. Realised I was miserable, eventually left. Tried to repair the damage.” Lux did not like to talk about herself, least of all her most vulnerable moments. The conversation made her want a cigarette.

“But you’re safe now.” It was almost a question. “You came out the other side.”

Lux sighed. “Yeah. I guess I did.” She stood, sliding the chair back under the table. “You’ll be okay. It’ll take time, and it will hurt a lot, but you can rebuild from here. When you hit bottom, the only way to go is up.” Before she could pick up her violin case, Maria rose, catching Lux’s hand in hers. Her other arm snaked around Lux’s waist, bringing them close.

“Please stay.”

“Maria,” Lux protested weakly, “you seem like a nice girl, but you’ve just been through something pretty serious. Maybe you should sleep on it–”

“I want you. You make me feel safe.” Maria smiled. “I’ve never met one of your kind. I thought you’d be frightening, but… you’re not. You’re an angel.”

Lux scoffed. “I’m really not.”

“You are to me.” Maria stepped back, taking Lux’s other hand and tugging her toward the bed. “Just stay with me for a little while? Even if you disappear and I never see you again, I want to keep this.”

The Tiefling well knew her lack of willpower when it came to pretty women, but just this once, something inside her made her stand her ground. “How about this,” she offered, squeezing Maria’s hands. “I’ll stay tonight, all night.” She dipped her head and kissed her gently, chastely. “But not for this. You don’t need that right now. I’ll stay for you.” Releasing her, Lux rounded the other side of the bed, kicking off her boots and unbuckling her belt. Maria watched her until she lay down, still clad in trousers and kurta, then smiled shyly and bent to take off her own boots. She unlaced her bodice and left it on the floor, crawling in beside Lux in her blouse and skirts, curling against her side and resting her head on her shoulder.

“Thank you.”

Lux wrapped her arms around the woman. “Sure thing.”

Within minutes, Maria was asleep, her breathing deep and even. In the darkness, Lux followed the wood grain of the ceiling beams, thinking idly about the past. Eventually she, too, drifted off to sleep.

**Author's Note:**

> Title song by Dessa.
> 
> Follow me on Tumblr at @expressandadmirable for a proper table of contents for the Heroes campaign, commissioned character art, text-based roleplay snippets and more!


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